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Report 309
Report #309 Skillset: Tracking Skill: Retriever Org: Ur'Guard Status: Rejected Feb 2010 Furies' Decision: We do not find this to be necessary. Problem: The Retriever in tracking is a major focus of many of the skills in the skillset. In use though, the retriever is of little use in combat due to the low proc rate of it's clamp attack and low level of health. For health, the hound can usually be killed in one critical hit, or usually in 2-4 normal hits. In testing Clamp, it has a 12% chance of hitting, on a 10 second attack cycle. Solution #1: Increase health of the retriever and increase the proc rate of clamp Solution #2: Make the retriever un-crittable and increase the proc rate of clamp Player Comments: ---on 1/30 @ 15:33 writes: The proc rate of clamp does not need to be increased. I am also wary of giving the pet more health / crit immunity as a flat boost since it does have further use outside of combat (for example, seeking, uniting, and retrieving). One idea that was floated in the past was to give tracking pets a form of armour that protected them but (when it was on) prevented them from doing the utility stuff. Instead they got Bloodthirst, which (supposedly) gives it increased health, as per your suggestion. Same sort of upside, different downside. ---on 1/31 @ 03:17 writes: I have tested the bloodthirst thing and the retriever is still insanely easy to kill. Perhaps make the retriever invulnerable (or at least hard to kill) when in the same room as the tracker. That way it will still be weak when using its utility things but will improve its effect in combat ---on 2/1 @ 21:44 writes: I liked that armour idea. Could change Bloodthirst to that to keep it different from ecology, say the frenzy makes them to distracted to use the utility abilities while making them tough to kill. ---on 2/3 @ 03:50 writes: If we're using bloodthirst to make it difficult to kill, then I would suggest that the use of any utility abilities would make bloodthirst drop. However, I still think it is better to just make the hound harder to kill when in the same room as you (perhaps like the health of an angel/demon?). If it is in the same room, that means it is not using any utility abilities. ---on 2/3 @ 16:53 writes: Bloodthirst is rarely ever used, as the damage increase is negligable and it removes the ability to Clamp, which is the retriever's most useful ability. The increased health is needed as the retriever is a large part of the skillset, such as a demon/angel is to Guardians. As for the Clamp increase, a 12% proc rate is extremely low on a 10second cycle and bumping it up would be helpful and not be a huge boost ---on 2/3 @ 23:33 writes: I'd prefer a one-or-the-other flag personally (bloodthirst or armour) versus having it change when it's in the room with you. The first two make more sense ICly, and you'd be abe to very easily mix utility / non-utility uses (for example, seek and unite to it, if you get there before it dies it suddenly gets a major buff). Could make bloodthirst more effective. ---on 2/4 @ 04:44 writes: Well, if you seek and unite to it before it dies, then the utility function of the retriever is already accomplished. You're now in the room, having to fight the person you united to. That's when the retriever is used, and should not simply die in a few hits. ---on 2/4 @ 23:09 writes: And that is my point, it should be used for one or the other (not both at the same time), which in that case it would be. Uniting to it utility. If you want to spend some time taking off the armour, unite to it and then spend some time putting it in armour to use it for combat, great. I just don't think it should be able to be both at the same time, given the potential uses for the utility that a tracking hound provides. ---on 2/6 @ 08:33 writes: My point is, you're not using them at the same time. Uniting is the utility, and the retriever is weak during the whole duration of the unite, so the opponent has a chance to kill it. After you FINISH uniting to it and start combat, the retriever becomes a part of your offense. That is when it should NOT be easily killed (in combat only). When it is doing its utility stuff, it stays vulnerable. ---on 2/6 @ 17:09 writes: You are using them at the same time, though. You're using it for utility to get to the person, you're using it for utility to get away if you move it (even if you're fighting), and so on. If the only flag is whether or not its in your presence it is being allowed to be used for both at the same time, which I don't think is necessary. ---on 2/7 @ 05:41 writes: I don't really get how you're using both at the same time. (IE: if you move it to get away while fighting, the retriever is no longer by your side to help you fight.) But, I guess just bloodthirst giving it significantly more health would be fine (angel/demon amount possibly?). ---on 2/7 @ 18:16 writes: Blodthirst should not be a condittion of it obtaining more health. It should be given the health/survivablity of angels/demons without us sacrificing it's best skill. ---on 2/24 @ 02:32 writes: I very much support increasing the chance for clamp to succeed, and I think basic math paves sound logic as to why. The dogs currently clamp once every 120 seconds. This is //once// every 2 minutes. That being said, the dog can die easily in under 10 seconds. This seems terribly illogical to me, and I think the entity as a whole could use a dramatic boost. I hate when skillsets suffer from a hodge podge of worthless skills, and that's the case with Tracking. As you learn better traps, the older traps become obsolete. This reduces the total number of worthwhile abilities in the entire skillset to around 4-5 once you are transcendent. At the very least, the hunting companion should be a continually growing and continually worthwhile asset to the skillset, which is currently represents miserably. Additionally, pits were already nerfed with "climb rocks" and no true compensation was afforded. ---on 2/24 @ 20:43 writes: 12% every 10 seconds is actually like... once every 83 seconds, I think. I agree that Tracking needs improvement and that the hunting companion needs a buff in increased health/not crittable. I am unsure about whether clamp needs a buff or not though. I still like my original idea!